Katie Frevert, MEd¹, Lyle Rudensey, MEd¹, and Thomas Burbacher, PhD². (1) Integrated Environmental Health Middle School Project, University of Washington, 4225 Roosevelt Way NE, Suite 100, Seattle, WA 98105, 206-685-5379, kfrevert@u.washington.edu, (2) Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of Washington, 4225 Roosevelt Way NE, Suite 100, Seattle, WA 98105

The overarching goal of the Integrated Environmental Health Middle School Project (IEHMSP) is to engage educators to plan, implement & assess projects that use environmental health sciences as an integrating context for learning. Through trainings and curricular materials, staff has helped teachers improve their public health knowledge and make the connections between the environment, health & community. In turn, the personal relevancy and interdisciplinary nature of environmental health topics have helped teachers engage their students and impact youth science literacy. IEHMSP staff is also facilitating ties and building relationships between community stakeholders and classrooms. Through these partnerships, students have learned first-hand that environmental health science topics are relevant to a wide range of community groups, individuals, and decision-makers. Students in Washington State have successfully participated in a mock environmental hazard inquiry study, researched and presented topics for a school-wide environmental health fair and have taken part in interdisciplinary lessons. Public health and environmental health professionals were key resources to ensuring student success in many of these endeavors. This session will highlight concrete ways professionals can make connections between environmental science and community health, and can incorporate environmental health into their education projects. Session participants will leave with tangible environmental health and justice tools to engage students in their own communities. The Integrated Environmental Health Middle School Project is supported by NIEHS grants ES10738 and ES07033.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the session participant will be able to

• List 3 key players needed to ensure a successful environmental health education program.
• Discuss methods to assess positive impacts of such a program.
• Develop similar integrated programs in their own community using tools presented at the session.

Keywords: Environmental Health, Education

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.